Pure Hell “I knew I was going over 200 mph because my plexiglass windscreen would fold down…” -Dale the Snail
Does anybody know more about the FE-powered Deuce roadster? It has the number One on the side; does that designate World Champ?
I know Brad Ocock has an FE powered altered roadster that was his Grandfather’s(?) car....I forget his name on here though. Anybody know how to get ahold of him to see if it’s the same car? Scott Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Also,those last colour shots of pure hell are outstanding,LB.[emoji16] Scott Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
The photo is from Calder Park near Melbourne, Australia and the driver is John English who was an Aussie drag racing pioneer. The first version of the car was flathead powered as seen below in this photo from Ian Liddell. Please disregard the class lettering on the car as this photo is from around 1965 and there were some funky class designations in Oz at the time. As a pioneer John chose the #1 and kept it for most of his career. Roo
I seem to remember another shot of it and it was identified as belonging to a guy named white. It was awhile ago in the drag roadster thread.
Thanks Roo. Being from Down Under would explain why I was not familiar with the car. I should have suspected that given the right side drag link / pitman arm and driver position.
This car may be running in an Altered class at the time the photo was taken (I can't read the class designation), but it looks like a Gasser to me. We have to remember, other than an out and out dragster, any car could run in the Altered class back in the day...
This car originally ran a steel Fiat body and was driven by Red Paris most of the time although Jerry Rushing also steered. The car first raced in 1963 and the later iteration ran until around 1970.
We should remember that sometimes racers would jump classes for various reasons. It may be at the time an altered record was "softer" than an equivalent gasser record. Or somebody else showed up to race that had a faster car and you were to be paired up in class eliminations. So if you had a gasser and you wanted to run altered you could say your engine setback was 11% vs the max allowed 10% or some such rules deviation - maybe aerodynamic "improvements" etc. Or just do like Virgil Cates and take off the front clip. Heck, I even ran one of my altereds for a year as an Econo Dragster because I fit the rules and could run under the record (until IHRA effectively outlawed that practice by stipulating a minimum wheelbase). Racers needed to be flexible to be successful.
Don't know on the Fiery Fiat but I'm pretty sure the Bird is from upstate NY. I have posted it before a couple times (not sure which thread) and I think a member knew the car and it was from upstate
I have captioned the "Firey Fiat" photo on numerous occasion when it has appeared here and in the DCIM thread. It is John "Crazyman" Taylor and the photo is from Castlereagh Dragway which was west of Sydney, Australia. Roo